How to Get a Death Certificate in Douglas County, Nebraska

You can also order from the state office. Ordering methods, fees and wait times are on our Nebraska death certificate guide.

Nebraska only releases death certificates for a "proper purpose," and the person asking has to show it. Under the state's rule (174 NAC 3), these people can order:

• Spouse, parent or child of the deceased, with proof of the relationship
• The estate's legal representative, including the personal representative, executor, attorney, guardian or conservator, for a legal purpose such as a probate or estate case or transferring a vehicle title
• Funeral home employees, getting copies for the family, up to one year from the date the death record was filed
• Government agencies, researchers and news media for their official purposes
• Genealogists, when the person has been deceased for at least 50 years

The state's Vital Records page says "You may only get a death certificate for your spouse, your parent, or your child." The state rule is broader and also covers the estate's personal representative or executor. If you are an executor who is not the spouse, parent or child, include proof of your role with your request, and call Vital Records at (402) 471-2871 to confirm what they will accept.

DHHS keeps the $16 fee if the right person has not asked for the record, so it pays to send proof the first time.

• The application. For mail orders, use the state's HHS-92 form (Rev. 7/2024).
• Payment. By mail, a check or money order payable to "Vital Records" for the exact amount. No credit cards by mail. Online orders take Visa or MasterCard. Fees can change, so call (402) 471-2871 to verify the amount before you send payment.
• Photo ID. Mail orders need a photocopy of your current government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. In person, show a current government-issued photo ID.
• No photo ID? The state's ID help page lets you send one document from List A (for example a health insurance card or current car registration) and one from List B (issued within the last 30 days with your name and current address, such as a utility bill or bank statement). Expired documents are not accepted.
• Proof of relationship. If your name is not on the certificate, send proof. For a spouse's record, a copy of your marriage record. For a parent's record, your own birth certificate showing that parent. Executors should include proof of their role.
• A stamped, self-addressed business-size envelope for regular mail return, or a prepaid express envelope for faster service.

Douglas County also requires a photocopy of current government-issued photo ID and publishes its own ID list.

Nebraska issues certified copies, printed on multi-colored security paper with the state seal. There is no separate "informational" copy to order.

Two related documents can come up:

• Abstract of Death. A certified document with the same information as the death certificate, but no cause of death. For deaths after July 19, 2024, the state issues it automatically when the cause of death is still under investigation. For a death still under investigation from before that date, you can request one. The state says it can be used to start settling an estate, close bank accounts and transfer car titles, but it will not work for anything that needs a cause of death, such as a life insurance claim. It cannot be exchanged later for the full certificate. You need to place and pay for a new order ($16 per copy). See the state's Abstract of Death page.
• Viewing copy. At the Lincoln office you can look at a record. It is stamped "NOT A LEGAL DOCUMENT - FOR REVIEW ONLY" and is not something you can use for estate business.

In Nebraska, the funeral director in charge of the funeral fills out the death certificate and files it with DHHS. The doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner who attended the death completes the medical part within 24 hours. The completed certificate must be filed within five business days after the death.

If the cause of death cannot be determined in time, the certificate is filed to establish the fact of death, and the cause must be added within six weeks. While the cause is pending an investigation, the state issues an Abstract of Death instead of the full certificate.

Funeral home employees can request certified copies for the family for up to one year after the record is filed. Ask your funeral home whether they are ordering copies for you and how many.

Banks, insurers, investment firms, the DMV and the probate court may each want a certified copy, and some keep the one you send. In Nebraska every copy costs the same $16, so there is no discount for ordering extras later. See our guide on how many copies to plan your order.

To correct a Nebraska death certificate, mail the Application for Amendment of Death Certificate (HHS-93) to Nebraska Vital Records, P.O. Box 95065, Lincoln, NE 68509-5065, with a photocopy of your photo ID.

• Who signs: the next of kin or the funeral director, in front of a notary.
• Cost: $16 to correct the record, plus $16 for each certified copy of the corrected record. Exact amount only, checks payable to Vital Records.
• Evidence: corrections in the first year after the death need one item of documentary evidence. After one year, two or more items. Evidence must be original documents or certified copies. Affidavits of personal recollection are not accepted.
• Cause of death: only the person who signed the death certificate can correct the medical part.

Questions about corrections: (402) 471-0912. More on the state's record changes page.

The official places to order a Nebraska death certificate are:

• Nebraska DHHS Office of Vital Records: online, by mail, or in person in Lincoln
• The Douglas County Health Department, for deaths in Douglas County only

Nebraska runs its own online ordering site, and its official pages do not send people to an outside ordering service. Other websites that offer to order Nebraska death certificates are not Nebraska government sites. Before you pay, check that the web address ends in ne.gov or is the Douglas County Health Department's own site.